Blog Archives
Grilled Turkey Thighs and Garden Potatoes
I was looking to grill chicken thighs, but while I was at the store, the clerk was marking down turkey thighs. I grabbed a couple of packages, froze two and cooked one, along with the remainder of the gold potatoes I dug from the garden. A simple and delicious dinner.
Grilled/Smoked Turkey Thighs
- 2 lbs of turkey thighs
- olive oil
- sage
- salt and pepper
Rub thighs with oil, sage, salt and pepper. Heat grill to 400 degrees and grill for 5 minutes, flip and grill an additional 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue to cook until the internal temperature of 175 degrees. Depending on the thickness of the thigh it can take 15 – 25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving, to bring temp up to 180 degrees.
Roasted Garden Potatoes
- 4 medium gold potatoes (Yukon or other)
- 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- salt and pepper
- foil (or skillet)
- parchment paper
Scrub potatoes and cut into large cubes. Toss potatoes and onions with oil, butter, salt and pepper.
Make a pan with the foil and place a piece of parchment on the bottom. Add the potatoes and onions, don’t seal.
I grilled along with the thighs above, on the top shelf. They finished up at the same time as the thighs. Crispy and browned on the outside.
Apple Crisp for Breakfast, That’s a Thing, Right?
…asking for a friend. 🤔
A few weeks back, the city once again sent out an alert: the apples in the city apple orchard were ready to be picked. So for the love of all that is holy, come and relieve them of these apples. Branches break, people get zonked by falling apples, the ground gets covered, so they seriously encourage people to “come and get it.” They are as organic as they come – other than some pruning, the city does nothing to them.
Photo from City of Longmont
Roger’s Grove Nature Area consists of 54.9 acres adjacent to the St. Vrain Greenway and includes Fairgrounds Lake, trails, a shelter, outdoor amphitheater, restrooms, native landscaping, demonstration gardens and an apple grove with fruit free for your harvest! Design and construction of the nature area was primarily funded by the Roger and Roberta Jones Foundation. Roger Jones (1915-1995), enjoyed walking along the river with his wife Roberta (1913-1992). Both educators in the St. Vrain Valley School system, the Jones’ wanted to contribute an environment for children and adults to visit, learn and enjoy. Roger’s Grove was developed as a nature area, arboretum and outdoor learning center.
…there are about 50 apple trees, of eight varieties, planted at Roger’s Grove, and they have not been sprayed with pesticides.
With all my apples, I made my Perfect Apple Crisp, recipe here, with a bit of twist. I came away with quite a few apples, and while a few are good to eat, most are better for baking. They sat in my fruit drawer for a week, and I decided I needed to do something with them, especially since I didn’t know if any of them were buggy – I didn’t want the bugs to multiply.
So I dumped them all in the sink, washed them and then sliced them up. I put them in my Multi-Pot (Instant Pot twin) and threw in about 1/2 cup of brown sugar, a dash of salt and just enough water to keep it from burning before the apples let go their juice. I set it for three minutes, assuming much of the cooking would take place while it pressurized. It was a good call.
I did the fast-release method, and the apples were perfect. Still had some shape and I thought would be great for baking. I had planned to freeze some, but best-laid plans and all, I instead went on an apple crisp spree. I’ve baked three in the last two weeks. Mmm–mmmm.
Oh, and those chicken thighs – I’ll put that recipe up later. Until then…
Garden Fresh: Jalapeno Relish and Easy Salsa
My garden was hit with both hail and an infestation of earwigs. I managed to get a small crop of tomatoes, jalapenos and potatoes despite the destruction. The ducks have been great at keeping the rest of the pests at bay, but earwigs are nocturnal, so they managed to escape the duck patrol.
My dad and youngest brother sent home cucumbers and jalapenos on my last trip, so I decided it was time to put everything to good use before they went bad on my counter.
First up, Easy Salsa, recipe here.
I love pickled jalapenos, so I wanted to pickle some this summer. I have had plenty, but I thought if I was going to do that, it wouldn’t hurt to have extra from my brother. Add my dad’s huge English cucumbers and I got a fresh, spicy combo that is terrific on everything, especially grilled hot dogs. Yum.
Pickled Jalapeno-Cucumber Relish
- 10 large jalapenos
- 1 large cucumber (or two medium)
- 2 tsp fresh dill (opt)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled, quartered
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
jars, blender, saucepan
You can rough chop all the vegetables, since this will be run through either a food processor or blender. If you want to tone down the spice – remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapenos. I did not peel the cucumber because it was garden fresh.
I added just a touch of dill – because I thought the cucumbers would need it. It’s not overwhelming and it could easily be omitted.
In the saucepan combine water, vinegars, sugar and salt. Bring to a low boil
In the blender or food processor, add jalapenos, cucumbers, herbs and garlic and just enough water to cover. Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped. Add to boiling mixture, bring back to a boil, reduced heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before adding to sterilized glass jars.
I did not can this recipe – jars will last about two weeks in the refrigerator. I froze several of the jars and they should last a good six months.
As a side note – those are grapes from my vines. I have one red vine and one concord vine. Last year they were barren, the year before they tasted like concord grapes, this year the vines are overflowing and taste sweet and are almost seedless. This fall I’m going to espalier them to create a screen and hopefully keep the dogs out of them. It’s been a challenge this year. Bixby loves to pick them off the vines and grapes are not good for dogs.
Multi-Pot Electric Pressure Cooker: 4-Minute Potato Salad
Photo of yummy potato salad by JeffreyW, of course
At the last-minute yesterday, I decided we needed potato salad at our cookout. Luckily, electric pressure cooker to the rescue. Four minutes cooking time, about 10 minutes prep. I left potatoes and eggs in the fridge to cool while we ran around. Added mayo, mustard, some dill pickle juice just before dinner and served with grilled hamburgers and corn. Yum.
Perfect Picnic Potato Salad
- 6 large potatoes, peeled, cubed
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- mayo and yellow mustard to taste – I used less than a cup of mayo and about 1/4 cup mustard – but I know some people like a lot more. I added a 1/4 cup of dill pickle juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Add the steaming basket to the pressure cooker. Add cubed potatoes (and you don’t need to be too fancy with cutting the pieces – just relatively same size for uniform cooking). Place washed eggs on top of the potatoes. Close the unit, set to steam for 4 minutes. When finished, use the rapid release method to ensure eggs don’t over cook and potatoes stay firm.
Add eggs to a cold water ice bath. Remove potatoes and drain excess water. Add to large serving bowl. Peel eggs, wash and cube. Add to potatoes. Let cool completely before mixing so as not to turn the potatoes into mush.
Once cooled, add remaining ingredients and fold until well mixed. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6 easily
Dinner Menu: Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork, Pineapple Slaw and Lemon Tarts
Had company over on Friday and went all out on the menu
On the board:
- Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches
- Pineapple Slaw
- Waffle Fries w/special sauce (recipe here)
- Spinach Salad
- Lemon Tarts
Pulled BBQ Pork
I used the electric pressure cooker for this and it was great. I marinated the pork in apple cider vinegar and adobo seasoning overnight. I browned it in the pressure cooker, than cooked on high for 45 minutes, using the liquid from the marinade and enough water to come up to about 1/2 of the pork loin.
Once it was finished, I released the pressure, shredded the pork, added about 1/2 cup of Baby Rays Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce and turned on the slow-cooker feature and let it sit uncovered for 2 hours until company arrived.
If you don’t have time for the slow-cooker, turn up the heat and let the liquid reduce by half before adding BBQ sauce.
Serve on toasted rolls with Pineapple SlawÂ
Pineapple Slaw (pictured above)
I saw a similar recipe when looking for cooking times for the pork. And it was a great addition to the pulled pork sandwiches.
- 2 cups shredded cabbage (I used green, but you can use red or a Napa)
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, crushed
- 1/2 apple, shredded
- 4 green onions chopped (including greens)
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (opt)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Mix all ingredients together and let set for at least 2 hours for flavors to meld.
Lemon Tarts
When I was in Paris I was on the hunt for tarts – specifically lemon tarts and strawberry tarts. Strawberries were out of season, so I had to settle for raspberry. The lemon were by far my favorite. They had a shortbread tart (the raspberry ones were pastry) that worked well with the tart lemon filling.
Lemon cream filling
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon butter
Combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon juice, lemon zest and butter in the top of a double boiler set over, but not touching, boiling water. Cook, stirring, until thick and creamy, about 5 or 6 minutes. Â Cool thoroughly before putting tarts together.
Okay, so all the recipes for lemon filling wanted a double-boiler. Â I started with one, but after 5 minutes of stirring and not thickening, I changed over to a saucepan and whisked it for 5 minutes while it boiled and thickened and had no issues with it burning or sticking. Â High altitude may have been the reason for my original troubles. Â Water boils at a lower temperature here, so the double boiler may not have offered enough heat to thicken the sauce.
Shortbread Tart
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 ½ cups flour
baking sheet
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in flour and mix well, then knead for 3-5 minutes until dough forms a ball.
Press dough into mini-tart pans. Prick each with a fork . Bake for 15-20 minutes at 300° Cool thoroughly before assembling tart.
To assemble – add lemon filling to each cooled tart. Top with whipped cream and serve with crushed raspberries.
This made a lot of tarts, so I refrigerated half of everything and I’ll be making more for dinner guests later this week.
Multi-Pot Recipes: Cooking In Two Layers, Shredded BBQ Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
I’ve been using my multi-pot electric pressure cooker a lot. I’ve been making my standard pressure cooker recipes, including a delicious pot roast (recipe here – although I’ve been using whiskey instead of wine and really liking the flavor)
My multi-pot came with both a steamer tray and a steam basket. The former is so you can steam instead of boil your food and the latter so you can cook two items at once. On a busy day, I may not cook fancy, but with a pressure cooker you can put together a quick flavorful meal in a few minutes.
I thought it was time to give the steamer basket a try.
First up – the steamer tray. The one that came with the multi-pot is basically a wire rack. The one from my stove-top pressure cooker is a flat tray.
I wondered if it would fit and sure enough it did. So I started with that one, since I was more familiar with it. What I love about the steamer tray is you can infuse whatever you’re cooking with lots of flavor by placing a spice packet (I use unbleached coffee filters and string) under the tray, add just enough water to cover the tray and cook as usual. Super flavorful when pressure cooked.
I made Chicken in BBQ sauce and mashed potatoes:
Shredded BBQ Chicken
- 3 small boneless chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- red wine vinegar
- water
- spice packet: rosemary, sage, garlic, oregano – crushed together and tied into a flat spice packet to fit under the tray
Lightly salt and pepper chicken breasts. In the multi-pot add enough liquid (1/2 water and 1/2 red wine vinegar) to barely cover the tray. Add spice packet, steaming tray and then chicken breasts.
Now it’s time to add the potatoes in the steaming basket.
Mashed Potatoes
- 4 potatoes (I like yukon gold, but any will do), washed and cut into eight pieces each)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Place the steam basket into the multi-pot and add potatoes.
Now it’s time to attach the lid and cook according to directions – use the time for the longest cooking item, in this case the chicken (15 minutes vs. 10 minutes for the potatoes).
Once the cooker has depressurized, add potatoes to a large bowl to mash, heat milk and butter in microwave until butter is melted and add to potatoes. Mash and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
For the chicken, remove from the pressure cooker to a plate. Remove spice packet and liquid (I save the liquid and freeze for soup base). Shred chicken (I use two forks, pulling in opposite directions) and then add back into the multi-pot along with BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays – sweet & spicy – is my favorite) and turn the multi-pot to WARM. Let simmer until everything is heated through (a couple of minutes).
Serve with steamed buttered green beans for a quick evening meal. It’s not fancy, but it’s also not fast food. 😉
This technique can be used with many items – instead of BBQ you can skip the vinegar when cooking and then use the liquid, along with milk, butter and flour to make a quick gravy after the chicken has steamed. Shred the chicken, add to the gravy and serve over potatoes.
Use this two-tier technique with pot roast, ribs, pork roast… etc.
I think I’m going to try lemon juice, chicken and rice for my next concoction.
Note on steamer tray – I made my first batch of mashed potatoes without it and the potatoes were watery. The next batch I switched to the steamer tray and they were smooth and creamy. Lesson: steam whenever you can instead of boil.
For all the Multi-Pot recipes, bookmark this link.
Next Multi-Pot recipe will be Sesame Chicken. Until then…
Multi-Pot Recipes: Beef and Barley Soup
Yummy photo by the great JeffreyW
I have used my Multi-Pot consistently for the last few weeks. I made two batches of soup, pulled pork, pasta sauce and two batches of rice. The first batch of rice I was all cocky and used the simple pressure cooker setting and my own time – because you know, I’m the Queen of Pressure Cooking – well, that didn’t turn out very well. I mean, it was great sticky rice, but I was going for light and fluffy. So the next batch I used the Rice Button! I mean, come on, a pot you can just push RICE and 10 minutes later have fluffy rice – why was I fighting it??
The buttons on this brand are easy and intuitive to use. It does help that I’m familiar with what times work well with my stove top cooker and there are good resources in the booklets that came with the machine to help pick timing.
My first batch of soup was to make Beef with Barley Soup:
I used this recipe (click here). I was excited to try out the browning feature and the pressure cooking setting.
I quickly and easily sauteed the onions and browned the beef with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Then added the remainder of the ingredients, sealed it shut and turned it to the Meat/Stew setting and set it for 30 minutes.
It took it 10 minutes to come to pressure – which didn’t surprise me because I filled it to the highest mark allowed.
The soup was delicious – I could easily leave it on warm, open the lid and let sit and fill the house with yummy soup smells as long as I desired. It was good and tasty. And clean up was a breeze – just tossed the insert into the dishwasher.
The one part of this electric pressure cooker that has been a learning curve for me is the quick -release method. I am so used to taking the pot over to the sink and running cold water over the top. With this, they say to just turn the pressure valve to open. Which sounds easy-peasy.  EXCEPT it spews greasy, starchy steam all over my kitchen cabinets.
The solution is fairly simple – I grabbed an old kitchen towel and cover the valve with that as it releases. Takes a bit longer, but no mess and no risk of a scary steam burn.
So for this recipe, I’d give the Multi-Pot a solid A.
I know, I know I promised a puppy update…give me a few minutes. Until then…
Tired of Winter Cooking: Some Fresh Ideas
I’m so very tired of winter cooking. Stews, soups (ok, I’m never really tired of soup), roasted meats and veggies. Time to freshen things up.
But with what? The produce section is often disappointing with flavorless items that haven’t seen the light of day. But there are some bright spots and with those I can wave away the winter cooking blues.
First up: Peppers and onions.
This is the time of year when you can find a variety of sweet peppers in all kinds of colors at a pretty reasonable price. My recipes are usually fairly simple. Heat up olive oil, add thinly sliced onions and peppers, season with a dash of salt and pepper. Sauté until they soften and onion are golden. Remove from heat and now you can cook up any number of things: chicken marinated in lemon juice and pepper, thin beef strips marinated in teriyaki and ponzu sauce, pork medallions marinated in apple juice and a bit of apple cider vinegar. The ideas are endless. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, butter noodles, quinoa…
Or how about Fajitas? That recipe is here.
Next up: Fresh salads.
I found a nice jicama one day and realized I hadn’t made a batch of Jicama Slaw since last summer. A big bowl of that in the refrigerator to munch on all week really lifted the flavor blahs. You can find the recipe here.
Two other summer favorites that are easy to make mid-winter: Potato Salads (recipes here) and Coleslaw (recipe here).
How about fruits?
Now is the time for Strawberries (recipes here and here)
Blood Oranges (recipes here)
And Grapes – one of my favorite grape recipes is Grapes and Sausages, recipe here.
That should be enough help you get through a few more weeks of winter while dreaming of the fresh vegetables soon to come from gardens and farm stands.
There will be a puppeh update today or tomorrow. Until then…
Glazed Meatloaf
JeffreyW linked to this recipe originally. When I went to make it, I adapted it to what I had on hand.
Glazed Meatloaf
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 stalk celery, rough chopped
- 1 small carrot, rough chopped
- 1/2 onion, rough chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1-1/2 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage (pork or ground beef can be substituted)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
In a skillet, melt butter and saute celery, carrots, onion and garlic until soft. Remove from heat and cool slightly. In a blender, add crushed tomatoes, soy sauce and chopped vegetables. Blend until smooth.
In a bowl, combine oats, beef, sausage, vegetable mixture, spices and eggs, and mix until well combined. You’re probably going to have to use your hands to get it done properly. I don’t have an issue with that, but if you do, kitchen latex-free disposable gloves are a lifesaver (I use them for chopping chiles and such).
You want this to be somewhat firm, but it’s not going to stand up on its own (that would lead to dry meatloaf)
Cover a baking sheet with foil and then top with a sheet of parchment paper. In a loaf pan, form the loaf, tap it on the counter to remove any air pockets. Refrigerate until oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Next put the parchment paper over the top, then place the baking sheet over the top and invert everything. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and gently remove the loaf pan. It helps to use a thin spatula. Put the meatloaf back in the oven and bake uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. About 40 minutes.
While it’s baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly until it has thickened.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven, turn heat up to 450 degrees F, baste the meatloaf with the glaze, return to the oven and bake for 3 minutes, glaze again, bake for an additional 3 minutes. Then a third time and remove from the oven when the glaze is bubbly and brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes so that you can cut it evenly.
The vegetable mixture really gives this meatloaf a silky texture and it is full of flavor.
I think serving it with mashed potatoes should be mandatory. YMMV.
Creamy Roasted Poblano Soup
Creamy Roasted Poblano Soup
- 4-5 poblano peppers – roasted, peeled and seeded
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion, rough chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water (I used water)
- 1 cup milk or cream
- salt and pepper
- limejuice
- cilantro
- shredded sharp cheddar or Crema Mexicana
This is so easy. I had frozen, roasted poblano chiles, so all I had to do was thaw, skin and seed them. But if you have fresh chiles, heat them under the broiler for 5 minutes (watch carefully and turn as needed) until the skins are blackened on all sides. Cool and then slip off the skins. Slice open and use the knife to remove seeds and ribs (usually just be scraping with the knife). Rough chop.
In a saucepan, heat butter and add chopped onions. Saute until they are translucent, add chopped garlic and heat through before adding the chiles. Stir for a moment until everything is coated in butter. Remove from heat and add to blender, along with water or stock. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Add back to saucepan, along with milk, and bring to a very low boil, stirring constantly, reduce heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Just before serving add the juice of 1/2 lime (more to taste). Garnish each bowl with cilantro and cheese.
Serves 4
